Vicious Playthings
by I Think It's Creative
Summary: You see, anything weak can be molded into a toy. While you may be dangerous, you are nothing more than a pawn in a game you can't quite understand. So I will play with you until you break. Worlds will collide, but only one will survive. Klaroline, some Deroline, Stonnie
1. Runaway

**_"Chapter 1 – Runaway"_**

Blood, dripping from broken veins and spilling onto the ground…her body…her mouth, excites Elena to no end. Power courses through her, and she loves how strong she's become. The thrill of innocent life washing over her invigorates Elena; she's stronger than she's ever been and the power is getting to her head. Her heightened senses make the world feel so amazing in a way she never could have imagined. The beauty in her newfound sense of smell entices her, ravishing her brain with delicious curiosity. She can hear and see things she never thought possible. Every touch to her taste buds feels utterly orgasmic, definitely better than sex.

Without her humanity, Elena can't get enough of the taste of human blood.

Mystic Falls may be infested with filthy vervain, but the neighboring town has never even heard of it. And because of her insatiable thirst, Elena is allowed to feed there on occasion. Though she has to have her wardens with her, this new town—ripe for the picking—is undeniably appeasing.

And while it tears him up inside, Stefan keeps a close eye on her.

As her personal babysitter, Stefan makes sure that Elena doesn't kill anyone or expose what she is. But now, more than a week later, he turns the doppelgänger sitting over to Damon. After all, he _is_ her boyfriend and she _is_ sired to him.

Other than late night blood runs, Elena is probably the most boring vampire in existence; at least Stefan has his 'Ripper' past to make him interesting.

If only Elena could be so lucky.

Stefan, and subsequently Damon, decided that—even though she was a vampire without her humanity—Elena has to keep up the charade that she's a normal human being. But a faulty wire burned down her home with her little brother asleep inside; all of her 'friends' walk around her on eggshells, keeping a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't go off the deep end; she needs to drink blood to survive.

Normal is out of the question.

All Elena wants to do is get the hell out of Virginia and see the world, live a thousand action-filled lives. She might even have to take a page from the book of Katherine, just to get every experience imaginable.

But first she needs to evade her pesky, sire-bonded boyfriend and his doom-and-gloom brother.

Right now, the main priority of the Salvatore brothers is to track down Katherine Pierce, get the cure back from her, and possibly drive a stake through her cold, un-beating heart. Now is the perfect time for Elena to disappear.

She won't take any belongings. She doesn't need any money, clothes, or anything else. She can just compel her way into the lap of luxury. She'll have to get a new cell phone though; Damon might try to track the one she has. But hopefully, she can get halfway across the country before he knows she's gone and she can get a new phone. She won't have long to formulate her plan, but she's getting the hell out of Mystic Falls before the day's done, even if it kills her.

She'll also need to find a witch to throw everyone off her trail. She could convince Bonnie to help her, but that would be a long shot. There aren't many other witches on call, either.

No matter what, Elena _will_ see her plan through.

* * *

Around lunch time, Stefan corners Elena by her locker. She looks up at him with a blank stare. "_What?_" she spits.

"Don't '_what'_ me," Stefan returns calmly as he touches her arm. "We need to talk."

Elena crosses her arms, snatching them from her ex-boyfriend, and rolls her eyes. "Then talk," she demands. "But make it quick; I've got classes to skip and a boyfriend to get back to."

"You're pushing it, Elena," Stefan warns. "You're gonna blow everyone's cover with the way you've been acting lately."

Elena smirks. "It's about time we all moved on from this little hole in the ground."

Stefan grabs Elena's arms roughly. "I'm serious, Elena," he snarls. "We're essentially stuck here until Silas is gone and Klaus gets the cure. You're going to ruin everything we worked for with your reckless behavior."

Elena scoffs and yanks her arms free. "So you're telling me I have to just sit here while Klaus is off finding the only thing in the world that will make me his little fountain of hybrid youth?" she quips. "I think _not_. I'm _immortal_, Stefan; we both are! I'm ready to have some fun and I'm not going to let the oldest vampire in the world take that away from me."

She turns to walk away when Stefan grabs her by the arm. Elena quickly flips him, pinning him against a locker, before darting away, leaving Stefan in her wake to take care of the twenty or so students who saw her.

Once outside of the school, Elena dashes away, letting her feet take her wherever they see fit. And before she knows it, she stops in front of a hair salon.

_Maybe a little color would do me some good_.

* * *

Convincing twenty rational, vervain-ridden teenagers that they _hadn't_ seen Elena run off at superhuman speed proved to be a difficult task. Where there's something unexplainable, there are questions, and Stefan doesn't know the answers. So instead of trying to make them all believe a lie, he disappears in the blink of an eye, hoping they'll pass off the strange phenomena as exhaustion from overworking.

The world passes by in a blur, and it feels nice to have the extra air crashing against his skin. But as nice as it feels, Stefan is far too pissed to enjoy it. Before he knows it, he's kicking down the door to the boarding house to find Damon lounging out on the couch with his laptop.

"You're home early," Damon announces, not tearing his eyes from his Silas Research Duty.

"_You_ need to do something about Elena!" Stefan demands adamantly, stomping over to his brother.

"No can do," Damon lies, clicking away on the keys. "We both agreed that making Elena turn off her humanity was a good thing." He smirks. "I like her better this way. She's _fun_."

"Well her _fun_ is going to expose us," Stefan points out. "She's reckless, Damon; she flipped me against a locker and ran off in the blink of an eye. You need to control her or people are gonna start asking questions and we're going to end up on the wrong end of the answers."

Damon looks up from the computer with a scowl. "She's not a dog, Stefan," he growls. "Let her have a little fun; soon we'll get the cure, she'll be human again, and she can live a normal life. If you want, I'll take her wherever she wants to go to cool off, because I guarantee she won't want to be here anymore." He smirks. "Who knows? We might have a little _soirée_ or two in France."

"I'm _serious_, Damon," Stefan persists. "You need to do something about her before she does something drastic."

Damon groans in annoyance. "_Alright_," Damon gripes. "I'll find her and talk her into acting a little more…human." He closes the laptop, tosses it beside him on the couch, and stands up. He looks to Stefan with an annoyed glance. "But you owe me."

"I'd say you owe _me_, Salvatore," Klaus announces arrogantly from the doorway. "_Both_ of you, actually."

"And what do we owe you for?" Stefan questions calmly, turning to face the Original, before Damon can speak.

Klaus smirks. "For letting you both live after your countless acts of betrayal," he answers smoothly. "For all intents and purposes, think of me as your father… And Daddy's not happy."

"What do you want, Klaus?" Damon groans. "We've got more important things to do today."

"That's right, Damon," Klaus purrs. "You and I have some work to do."

He shifts his gaze to the younger Salvatore brother. "As for _you_, Stefan, you've made it blatantly obvious that I cannot trust you. Therefore, you will be given a different task." In the blink of an eye, Klaus pins Stefan to a wall, his arm pressed across Stefan's neck.

"You listen to me," Klaus hisses as his gaze captures Stefan's. The Salvatore's face deadpans as Klaus's pupils dilate with compulsion. "You are going to stay in this house until I tell you otherwise. You will not answer your phone, or your door. You will be dead to the world until I see fit. Do I make myself clear?"

In light of recent events, Klaus has kept a distant eye on the Salvatores and the notorious doppelgänger. In doing so, he's taken special note on Stefan's lack of vervain intake. Thankfully, Stefan forgetting to take his medicine saves Klaus a lot of time and energy that could be used toward his bigger schemes.

"I understand," Stefan breathes lifelessly.

The Original smirks and removes his arm from Stefan's neck. He looks on proudly as Stefan sinks to the floor. The younger vampire's eyes fall and he retreats inside himself, his brooding nature filling the room.

Klaus remembers his purpose and turns to Damon, his face hard like stone. "As for you," he starts quietly, "You are given the task of aiding me in finding Katerina and retrieving the cure."

Damon crosses his arms and narrows his eyebrows. "So you can use Elena as your little hybrid smorgasbord?" he spits venomously. "No dice."

Klaus's lips fall into a tight purse and his eyes shoot daggers across the small distance between him and Damon. "Your Gilbert girl has worn out her importance," he announces. "However, I'm feeling generous: Should you comply, I will let her live, as well as find a way to allow her to create the next of kin in the Petrova line. I give you my word that I no longer wish to use your blood to sire hybrids."

"And what if I say no?" Damon challenges.

The Original smiles devilishly. "I force you to come with me, kill Katerina and your pathetic girlfriend, and dispose of you after _several_ gruesome hours of torture."

Damon refuses to falter. "I don't believe you for one second," he sneers. "Find someone else."

Klaus rolls his eyes and breaches the gap between him and Damon before the Salvatore can even comprehend what has happened. His hands envelope Damon's head and he stares intently into Damon's striking blue eyes. "And here I hoped you _weren't_ a complete imbecile."

* * *

Like Klaus, Katherine Pierce lay in wait, keeping an eye on Elena after the events that transpired that day on the island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Centuries of running from a powerful Original have taught her how to hide her scent from baby vampires like the Salvatore brothers, and Elena doesn't care enough to pick out Katherine's scent to do anything about her.

After Elena's show of display at the high school, Katherine follows Stefan back to his home, keeping a clear enough distance when she feels the overbearing Original's presence. Overhearing a large portion of the 'conversation' among the three vampires, Katherine quickly departs from the Salvatore property and quickly tracks Elena down.

From a distance, Katherine spots Elena exiting the local hair salon and scanning the parking lot. Katherine's brow rises in shock at the drastic new change in Elena's hair; she never figured the Gilbert girl would want to be a red head.

As soon as Elena leaves the salon and enters the parking lot, she spots a black BMW and quickly makes her way to it. She contemplates breaking the window, but that would give away the stolen vehicle on the spot. She walks over to the passenger's side and breaks off the door handle. She climbs into the car and leans over the front seat to unlock the driver's door. She leans under the steering wheel, pops open the underside of the steering column and quickly hotwires the engine, a trick she learned from her brother during her mini-rebellious phase before her parents died.

Katherine lightly flexes her fingers on the steering wheel of her blue Ford Fusion, awaiting Elena's next move.

"So why are we following your twin?" Genevieve, Katherine's witch, questions from the passenger's seat. She twirls a lock of her golden, curled hair.

"She's not my twin," Katherine reminds impatiently. "And I want to know what she's up to."

"Why does it matter?" Gen asks. Of all the witches Katherine could have found on short notice, she had to pick the nosiest teenager in Virginia…

"Because wherever _she_ goes, Klaus is sure to follow," Katherine explains, keeping her eyes locked on Elena as she hotwires the BMW. "Without her humanity, she's a lot like me." Katherine smirks at the revelation. "And I want her to get all of the fun and mischief out of her system before I shove the cure down her throat and hand her over to Klaus."

Gen sighs. "This is still pretty boring."

Katherine scowls and her head snaps to the young witch. "Ask another question or make another snippy comment and I'll break your neck," she threatens. "You may have power, but you're young and don't know how to use it. That makes you _disposable_. Unless you want to wind up in a ditch missing your heart and a limb or two, don't _speak_ unless _spoken_ to."

Gen rolls her eyes and rests the side of her head against the window.

It's going to be a long ride.


	2. Creatures of the Night

**_"Chapter 2 – Creatures of the Night"_**

**Three days later.**

If she feeds, she doesn't need sleep. Sleep will only slow her down. Elena needs to keep going; giving up isn't an option.

The only time she pulls her car over is to feed, and she doesn't park for long. She doesn't even stop to throw the corpses out on the side of the road.

But while the vampire may be able to continue her journey, the BMW gives out three days after its departure just a mile outside of LA.

With an annoyed sigh, Elena climbs out of the car and speeds into the city. It won't be that hard to find a replacement car…and maybe a snack. As soon as she reaches the first building at the edge of the large city, she slows to a human walk, her diamond pendant bouncing on her chest as she moves. She takes in the sight of the city around her, disgusted by the dilapidated buildings and cluttered sidewalks. For a town everyone dies to make it in, Elena's nearly dying to get the hell away from it.

From an alleyway, a man steps out of the shadows and catcalls obnoxiously. Fury in her eyes, Elena's head snaps to the filthy bum with shaggy brown hair and cloudy green eyes. He wears a large trench coat and he licks his lips, mischief and lust in his eyes. "What can I get for fifty dollars, sugar?" he asks with a mocking chuckle.

Elena sneers and darts to him, pinning him with both hands around his neck against a shadow-covered wall in the alley. "I'm not a prostitute," she snarls, the veins around her eyes pulsating with rage. "And even if I was, I still wouldn't let you talk to me like that." She bares her fangs and hisses at him. "Give me one good reason why I _shouldn't_ rip your throat out."

"L-listen lady," the man stammers hoarsely, pulling at Elena's wrists, "I was only k-kidding around."

"I wasn't," Elena says with a dark smirk. Then she bites into his neck with brute force, warm blood spilling into her mouth. But…something is wrong with this man's blood. As it billows down her throat, Elena feels lightheaded, dizzy even. Her body tingles, but it doesn't burn, so she knows there's no vervain in his system.

Just as Elena pulls her mouth from the bum's rotting skin, a large force crashes into her, knocking her to the ground. The bum slumps to the ground unconscious and Elena shoots to her feet to face a boy—probably early twenties judging by his short, spiky brown hair and delightfully full lips—looking down on her with blood red eyes. His face is distorted in a way she never thought possible and his fangs are longer than she's ever seen.

"What are you?" the boy questions in a raspy voice as he looks upon Elena's vampiric figure. His fangs glisten in the light of the moon as if to tempt Elena.

She simply hisses at him, staggering slightly from the contaminated blood coursing through her veins.

"Ethan, come on!" another boy calls out. "We're moving; let's go!"

The boy—Ethan—turns back to his twin brother running up to him. When Ethan turns back to look at Elena, she's gone; she's hiding at the top of the building deep in the shadows, watching the strange twins.

Ethan's brother spots the shaggy haired man barely breathing as he's slumped against the wall. "Dude," he mumbles as he shoves Ethan. "Not cool."

"W-what?" Ethan stammers, turning back to his twin. "I didn't…"

"Just finish him off," the boy spits. "And make it quick. You're gonna make us get left behind." Then he takes off, leaving Ethan alone with the dying man in the alley.

Ethan sighs and turns to the man. "Sorry about this," he apologizes in a soft voice. He kneels down beside the bum and places his hands on his face. Without hesitation, Ethan snaps the man's neck and runs off after his brother. He doesn't move exceptionally fast like Elena, but significantly faster than a human.

From atop the building, Elena clings to the fire escape. But the tainted blood is taking over. The world begins to spin around her and she finds it hard to hold onto the railing.

And unfortunately, her grip loosens and she falls two stories onto the cold, hard pavement.

* * *

Elena knows she's dreaming; everything around her sizzles every few seconds like a TV losing reception.

Her body feels fuzzy, almost drowning in a haze. Her eyes blink rapidly, trying to take sight of the world around her. She knows she's still in LA—she's still in the alleyway by the rundown building—but she's in the middle of a desert in the middle of the day.

Sounds like rattlesnakes, hissing scorpions, and other unfamiliar noises fill her ears. She sits up slowly and her body trembles. She can feel her blood bubbling in her veins as it tries to break down and detoxify the contaminated blood from her disgusting victim. Her chest constricts and her breathing becomes shallow. Her mouth feels dry, like she hasn't eaten in days.

She struggles to pull herself over to the wall of the building; her muscles refuse to cooperate. As she tries to crawl across the strange desert ground, her arms sting as if thousands of glass shards run up and down her skin. She closes her eyes from the intense pain and lets out a pained scream.

Her torso begins to shake, and she feels strong hands on her shoulders.

Elena gasps and opens her eyes. The haze, the pain, and the desert are all gone; the normality of the broken down city remains. Her vision clears and she stares right into the deep brown eyes of a mysterious stranger.

But she notices the amount of light on his face.

Shocked, Elena pushes him away and shoots to her feet at an inhuman speed. She shields her eyes from the sun peering atop the buildings creating the alleyway and groans loudly.

"How long was I out?" she questions, assuming the boy had been with her since she passed out.

"About an hour or two," his deep voice answers. He chuckles. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Elena's head snaps to him with a tight purse of her lips and she scans him over. He sits on the ground a few feet away from her with a leather jacket too hot for the LA weather, a white T shirt beneath it, black jeans, and fancy name brand shoes that she doesn't care about. Taking note of his face, there are similarities to the strange boy she saw last night, but he looks undoubtedly human and somewhat handsome.

She assumes this is Ethan.

"I thought you were supposed to be leaving," she spits.

"I was," he announces. "But I had a feeling you were still here, so I waited for you to show. You're lucky I was here to catch you when you fell." He smirks. "You probably could have died."

"I doubt it," Elena sneers as she crosses her arms. "Why are you here?"

"Because I want to know what you are," Ethan retorts as he rises to his feet.

Elena narrows her eyes. "What are you?"

Ethan crosses his arms as well. "I asked you first."

Elena rolls her eyes and slouches with annoyance. "Hasn't your mommy ever told you bedtime stories about the monsters in the night?"

Ethan smirks. "I _am_ one of the monsters," he tells her. "And so are you. So what are you?"

Elena smiles sweetly. "I'm a vampire."

Ethan laughs scornfully. "You're kidding right? Vampires don't exist."

Elena scowls. "Never mind that," she snarls. "My patience is running thin; tell me what you are and I won't kill you."

"I doubt you could do that," Ethan declares, holding his nose up with pride, "I'm a werewolf."

Elena eyes him curiously, masking her shock. He has to be _more_ than just a werewolf. Tyler only looked like he did because he was a hybrid. But this boy doesn't believe in vampires and she doubts Klaus made more than Tyler and the twelve hybrids he killed.

"Are there more of you?" she wonders out loud.

Ethan nods. "I'm part of a pack," he tells her, "And we're heading off to find more werewolves in this small town called Beacon Hills."

Elena smirks again. This boy was a waterfall of information and he was asking for little in return. If he was going to keep this up, she could use him to her advantage. "Why are you telling me all this?" she asks.

Ethan shrugs. "You seem like you're looking for someone to run with."

Elena catches Ethan's gaze and her pupils start to dilate, filtered slightly by her contacts. "Take me with you to this Beacon Hills."

"Only if you can keep up," Ethan challenges with a goofy grin.

Elena smirks. "I think I can manage."


	3. Search Party

**_"Chapter 3 – Search Party"_**

**Mystic Falls, Virginia.**

"Did you get it?" Bonnie asks as she spots Caroline when she opens the door to an abandoned classroom. Caroline holds up a little vial of blood and Bonnie smiles. "Good," she breathes. "But before I do this, I need to ask a favor."

"I don't know if I can give you anything," Caroline admits sadly. "But what is it?"

"Wherever Elena is," Bonnie begins after a short pause, "Take me with you."

"What? _Why?_"

"I can't do this right now, Care," Bonnie confesses with a hopeless look. "I need to get out of Mystic Falls. Maybe Elena left for the same reasons. I just can't deal with everything right now; there's so much death and destruction here…and there are so many memories of Jeremy…"

Caroline places a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder and smiles softly. "I was hoping you'd ask," she breathes.

Bonnie smiles widely and takes to vial from the blonde vampire. "Hopefully I'll be able to track her," she says as she moves to the map on the desk. "Vampires and magic don't mix."

"Here's hoping for the best," Caroline offers.

With a deep sigh, Bonnie opens the vial and pours it onto the large map of the United States. Clenching her eyes shut, she channels the magic she learned through Professor Shane and Caroline looks on in wonder. Slowly, Elena's blood moves westward from Mystic Falls. As it travels, Caroline notices that it's heading to Los Angeles, California.

With a gasp, Bonnie opens her eyes. "Her trail is still going," she announces. She looks down at the map. "But the last place she stopped was in LA." She looks up at Caroline. "We need to go ahead and get going. When we get to LA, I'll do another locator spell to see where she is. Hopefully she's not on her way to Canada."

Caroline huffs in confusion. "What the hell is Elena doing in California?"

* * *

**Biarritz, France.**

Getting Damon to willingly comply seemed to prove a difficult task for Klaus. While Stefan had no vervain in his system, Damon most certainly did. It seemed that—with all the commotion caused by the hunt for the cure and Elena going AWOL—Stefan had neglected to supplement the deadly plant into his daily regimen.

Damon, however, remembered his dosages.

So unfortunately for the older Salvatore, Klaus resorted to breaking Damon's neck, carrying him out of the Salvatore home—while his brother sulked in a corner—binding him in an unused room inside his mighty fortress of a mansion, and nearly bleeding him dry until the vervain was out of his system. And much to his dismay, Klaus had to delve into his private stash of human donors for Damon to feed on, but there were many more humans he could replace them with.

Klaus wastes no time in compelling Damon to do whatever he wants, and the two quickly make their way to France, the country Katherine loves to visit most often; she loves the city by the sea full of gorgeous human surfers for her to play with and usually checks into the best room of the _Hotel du Palais_ to accommodate her diva demands. Klaus has a lead that she'd been spotted in Biarritz two days ago, so he intends to start there.

Klaus stands in front of a small bistro with Damon at his side, about to enter, when his cell buzzes in his back pocket. He pulls out his phone and answers it with an annoyed grunt after checking the caller ID. "What _is_ it, Stefan?" he questions harshly.

"Caroline sent me a text," Stefan announces. "She's going out of town for a while to look for Elena."

Klaus's face falls; in his attempts to find the cure, he'd neglected the thing he cherished most. "Where is she going?"

"I don't know," Stefan answers with a light, mocking tone. "You compelled me not to answer my phone, and that involves texting as well."

"Count your blessings that I am away in Europe," Klaus snarls, his lips tightly knitted into a grimace. "Now, listen to me. You will track Caroline and keep a close eye on her. I give you permission to leave your home as long as you keep an eye on her."

Stefan laughs on the other end of the line. "How much of a fool do you take me for?" he mocks. You and I both know compulsion doesn't work like that. Now that I'm free, there are _so_ many things I've wanted to do!"

"_Stefan_," Klaus seethes.

"Goodbye, Klaus. Have a nice trip with my brother."

Klaus starts to call his name again, but the line goes dead. His brow furrows and he rubs his temples after throwing his phone a lengthy distance over the bistro. He narrows his eyes, spotting the young, redheaded French woman who will know where Katherine is. He roughly slams his hand down on Damon's shoulder, clenching his teeth tightly.

"Once I find the cure and dispose of Katerina," he begins, "I will have your brother's head on a silver platter."

* * *

**Five days later.**

Elena follows Ethan to Beacon Hills, but not before feeding on a few innocent civilians. Because she's young and reckless, she leaves a trail of bodies from the edge of LA to a mile from Beacon Hills. Katherine makes her witch dispose of the bodies and hide their trail, but the young witch is also careless, using a weak spell that Caroline can easily sniff around.

However, the trail runs cold just outside of Beacon Hills. Katherine made sure of it.

Caroline pulls over the Lexus she 'borrowed' and sighs. "I can't track her anymore," she announces, staring out through the windshield at the seemingly quiet city resting on the horizon.

"Why not?" Bonnie cries. "You've been doing it this long!"

"That's because she left a trail of dead bodies!" Caroline snaps, her blond curls flying as she glowers at her friend. "Since you refused to let me compel people and wouldn't let me go over the speed limit, it took us longer to get out here. A vampire's scent doesn't linger very long, you know."

Bonnie sighs and looks at the sign that reads 'BEACON HILLS – 1 MILE.' She purses her lips in deliberation. Why would Elena want to come here? This town wasn't even on the map! How would she know about it? There had to be something important if she left a trail this far; there had to be a reason she didn't just stay in LA…

"What do you think she's doing there?" Bonnie questions silently.

Caroline shrugs. "That place isn't even on the map," she points out. "A small town like that is probably the best place to lay low for a while. God knows _what_ she's doing without her humanity…"

"Let's go get her…"

* * *

"They almost caught up to her," Katherine points out angrily.

"Well I'm sorry!" Gen exclaims snippily. "I don't have a book or anything to help me out; I'm kinda on my own here."

Katherine narrows her eyes at the young girl. "Just channel your inner witch or whatever," Katherine gripes. "If you really want it, it'll happen."

Gen sighs. "And how do you know all this?" she questions. "You're not even a witch."

Katherine scowls. "When you live as long as I have," she begins, "You meet a few witches. You make allies."

Gen looks through the windshield, watching Elena from a distance as she walks up to an old bank. She closes her eyes and concentrates on the bank, sensing more of her surroundings. "There are people in the bank," she states. Her brow furrows in confusion. "Well, they aren't people, but they aren't more vampires either."

"Are they werewolves?"

Gen snickers, keeping her eyes closed. "Werewolves don't exist," she laughs.

"_Are they werewolves_?" Katherine shouts, shocking the witch.

"I don't know!" she exclaims, looking to Katherine in fear. "I don't know what a werewolf feels like."

Katherine huffs. "Just keep an eye on her," she instructs. "And be on the lookout for her friends; they made it this far because of your sloppiness."

Gen looks away and shrinks in her seat. "I'm sorry…" She shoots up in her seat, alert to a new and potential threat. "There are more people coming," she states.

"You need to be more specific," Katherine mumbles, resting her chin on the steering wheel.

"They're actually people," Gen clarifies. "They're humans, but there's something different about them. I…I can sense their purpose; they're here to destroy." She turns to Katherine in worry. "What do I do?"

"They more than likely aren't here for Elena," Katherine points out dully, keeping her eyes on the old bank. "I haven't smelled a vampire for miles, so I doubt they're vampire hunters. They probably don't even know what vampires are. She'll be fine."

"But what about the werewolves?"

"She'll be fine," Katherine growls. Her head snaps to Gen. "I suggest you stop doubting me if you want to see sunset."

Gen sighs and faces forward in her seat. "Yes, Katherine."

* * *

Elena decided to have a little snack once she got into Beacon Hills, a pretty little blonde girl, and she lagged behind a little. The girl smelled like her veins were just bursting with AB negative, the rarest and _tastiest_ blood-type, and Elena just couldn't resist. She told Ethan she would catch up to him.

Now, she walks up to what seems to be an abandoned bank. She puts up her guard, remaining on alert; Ethan doesn't seem like the brightest bulb in the bunch and may not have told anyone about her arrival just yet.

As she tries to open the front door, she realizes it's locked. Instead of breaking into the back of the bank, she rams her elbow into the bulletproof glass in the front door and shatters it effortlessly. She kicks the rest of it away with her black pumps, completely disregarding the idea of stealth.

Elena cautiously steps through the broken glass and looks around, scanning the dark building.

"Who the hell are you?" a female voice calls from the darkness.

Elena looks around, probing in the dark for the source of the voice. "I'm looking for Ethan," she announces, refusing to answer the question as she crosses her arms. "Tell me where he is and I won't kill you."

A laugh resonates from the darkness and a strong force rushes through the darkness. Before the force touches Elena, she moves out of the way and stands at the tip of the light coming in from the outside.

She smirks. "Missed me."

A shadow charges toward Elena, but Elena jumps atop a dust-covered table without hesitation. "The werewolves back home are faster than that," she boasts. "_They_ know how to scare me."

The shadow smashes into the table and, before Elena can land gracefully on the floor, it knocks Elena into the teller station. And before Elena can react, an unseen figure grabs a fistful of her hair and pulls her back. A hand grips her throat tightly and sharp claws dig into her skin as the figure pulls Elena close.

"Got you," the woman whispers in her ear.

Because of all the human blood in her system, Elena is much stronger than she's ever been. Using a fraction of her strength, Elena flips the woman onto the teller station. The woman releases her grasp on Elena once she crashes onto the hard granite, and Elena slams her hand down on the woman's throat.

Now, getting a better look, Elena notices the caramel tone of her skin that is a shade or two lighter than Bonnie's. The woman's hair is long, brown, and curly like Bonnie's as well, but her eyes are a deep, menacing red and her face is distorted monstrously like Ethan's when she first saw him. She bares her fangs at Elena and claws at Elena's wrists.

"Dogs should be on their leashes," Elena spits. Her face shifts and the veins on her face stick out, throbbing slightly. Her eyes darken and her fangs elongate. She smirks at the werewolf beneath her. "This'll be the last lesson you ever learn."

Elena raises her hand, preparing to rip out the werewolf's eyes when a firm grip tightens around her wrist. Elena turns to find a blind man slightly shrouded in shadows.

"I advise you to let her go," he speaks softly.

"She attacked me first," Elena hisses, clenching her hand tighter around the female's neck.

"What are you doing?" Ethan cries, running up to Elena. "Deucalion, let her go!"

The man holding Elena's wrist, Deucalion, sneers at Ethan. "She tried to kill one of ours," he snarls.

"She attacked me first!" Elena repeats in a shout. "I was defending myself."

"Can we all just…let go of each other and back away?" Ethan suggests. "She won't hurt us."

Deucalion purses his lips and pulls Elena away from her prey before letting her go. The werewolf on the teller station rises to her feet and stands at attention, ready to attack. Elena turns to face Deucalion.

"I heard there was a pack here," Elena announces after a brief, awkward silence.

Deucalion raises his cane and pokes Elena in the chest. "We are an Alpha pack," he states. "We are stronger than you or any other werewolf. State your name and your business."

Elena grimaces. "My name is Jade," she lies. She gestures to Ethan with her eyes. "He said there was a pack of you coming here and I want to know what you're up to; if I deem it worthy enough, I may just join you."

Deucalion chuckles. "What makes you think we would allow aid from a vampire?" he asks incredulously.

Elena raises an eyebrow. "How did you know what I was?"

Deucalion lowers his cane and leans forward against it. "You're not the first of your kind," he announces. "Though you are stronger than most I've seen." He straightens his posture. "While your strength may be great, your kind is destructive. While wolves travel in packs, vampires run alone and only look after themselves. They cannot be trusted. What makes you any different?"

Elena scowls. "I can assure you—"

Glass explodes and a strange, silver, stake-like object rolls into the middle of the floor. Before anyone can move, the stake explodes into a blinding white light. The female wolf screams and Ethan growls loudly.

"_Run_," Deucalion orders. He knocks Elena down as a thick smoke begins to clear the air. The smoke envelops Elena and the werewolves, and the werewolves struggle to breathe. They fall to the ground as men in dark clothing flood into the bank carrying crossbows and other deadly weapons. Elena can barely make them out, but she sees one of them point a crossbow toward Deucalion's head as the blind wolf struggles to crawl away.

Elena seizes her opportunity.

"_Help me_!" she cries. She forces her face to return to normal and she leans back onto the floor. "Someone help! I can't see!"

When the man who aimed the crossbow at Deucalion turns to Elena, Elena closes her eyes and pretends to faint. When he assesses her to be human, he wastes no time in picking her up and carrying her out of the bank.


	4. New Perspectives

**_"Chapter 4 – New Perspectives"_**

"I don't think we're gonna find her," Caroline whines.

"We'll find her, Care," Bonnie assures her friend. "Be patient. We just started looking; this town is only but so big; it wasn't even on the map. It won't be that hard to find her, especially if she left a trail this far."

Caroline nods in defeat and the two girls pass by a small bar. Caroline smirks. "I bet I could compel us some free drinks."

Bonnie rolls her eyes with an amused smile. "I'm sure you could," she laughs, "But I think we should have a clear head if we're gonna drag Elena back to Mystic Falls."

Caroline pouts and her shoulders slump. "You're no fun," she grumbles.

Bonnie opens her mouth, maybe to make a joke, when a rush of cold air washes over her, sending a shiver down her spine just as a blunt object cracks across the back of her head. As Bonnie falls to the ground, Caroline snaps around to see a man in dark clothes wearing a mask and pointing a gun at her.

"Give me all your money and no one gets hurt," he demands calmly. He waves the gun briefly at Bonnie, unconscious on the pavement, before pointing the gun back at Caroline. "Your friend's, too."

Caroline scowls and her face shifts to dark, veined eyes and long fangs that glisten in the sunlight. "I don't think so," she snarls.

Through the small eye holes in the thief's mask, Caroline can see the fear building in his eyes. He tries to back away, but Caroline's arm snaps out to him. Her nails dig into his wrist and she quickly bends his arm backwards, breaking it in five places. The thief screams in pain at the top of his lungs and falls to his knees.

"It's not nice to hold people at gun point and knock their friends out," she states, darkness in her voice. "I don't like people like you. And today is _not_ your day because I'm starving and my conscience is passed out over there." Her tongue flicks across her fangs and she smiles hungrily. "I don't think she'd mind anyway." A growl rises in her throat and she crashes her piercing teeth into the bare patch of skin between the thief's mask and black shirt. Blood spills into her mouth and slides down her throat, filling her body with warmth and power.

Distracted by her prey, Caroline doesn't notice the other presence rapidly closing in on her. Before she can defend herself, something strong tackles her, hitting her head on the hard cement. Down on the ground, the scent of blood in the distance billows into her nose. Her eyes roll to the side and she spots a girl with long, red hair standing dangerously close to blonde girl whose head lulls to the side. She can faintly hear the sound of the redhead smacking her lips as she messily drinks the blood.

But…that _can't_ be Elena, can it?

Caroline struggles to rock her body as she spots a blind man in the shadows close to Elena. Something seems off about him. She continues to struggle out of what pins her down to no avail. She looks up to see what it is and, even with her heightened senses, she can only see the silhouette of a muscular figure towering over her.

Her hands lash out and grab the figure's wrist just as it crashes down on her neck. She struggles under the massive weight, even with the new blood in her system. She snaps her teeth at the figure and it emits one powerful growl before it violently snaps her neck. Her hands fall against the pavement with a soft _smack_ as the life retreats momentarily from her body.

A boy, roughly 17, runs up to the scene. His shaggy, brown hair bounces slightly, his hazel-tinted eyes full of excited disbelief. When he sees Caroline and Bonnie lying limp on the ground, he stops in his tracks. The sight of these beautiful, unconscious girls worries him and strips away his excitement. It takes him a moment to find his voice.

"A...are they dead?" he asks, his voice barely audible.

The once silhouetted figure, a tall and gruff man, turns around slightly—just enough to face the boy—and grimaces. "Stiles, I told you to go home!" he reprimands.

Stiles sneers. "Are they dead?" he repeats, ignoring the question.

The burly man growls in annoyance. "No," he answers, his voice strained with anger. He nods to Bonnie. "Make yourself useful and get her out of here. Take her home and don't let her out of your sight."

Stiles smirks as he makes his way to the unconscious witch. "See, Derek," he begins boastfully. "What would you have done without me?"

Derek narrows his eyes. "Take her and leave," he snarls, asserting his authority.

"But what about the other one?" he questions, darting his eyes to Caroline and back.

"She's not human," Derek announces. "Stop asking questions and _go away_!"

"Well if she's not human, then what is she?"

Derek shoots to his feet, his eyes blazing with fiery rage, and Stiles jumps back in fear. "Oh my God," Stiles mumbles in fear as he turns away. He dashes over to Bonnie and kneels beside her. He scans her over and raises his hands slightly, trying to decide the best way to help her up. As soon as he places his hands on her waist to pick her up, Bonnie gasps and her eyes shoot open. She screams and Stiles jumps back.

Panting and terrified, Bonnie sits up and crawls backwards. Her eyes dart around, taking in her surroundings, and she notices the bleeding man on the ground next to Caroline, as well as Derek towering over her.

"P-please don't hurt me," she pleads in a small voice.

Stiles gapes at her in confusion. Then it hits him and he looks back at the scene behind him, and then back at Bonnie. "No, no, no!" he exclaims, raising his hands up to show they're clean. "I didn't do this!" He points at Caroline. "Didn't she attack you?"

Bonnie eyes Caroline for a moment, and then looks back up at Stiles. "I-I-I don't know," she stammers out. "I've…never seen her before…"

"Well what about the guy?" Stiles inquires. "Do you know him?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "If I did, I don't remember."

Sensing something off, Stiles purses his lips. He looks back to Derek who slings Caroline over his shoulders. He eyes Bonnie with scrutiny. "What's your name?" he asks.

Bonnie opens her mouth to answer, but her face falls when she can't find the name she's looking for. She brings a hand to her mouth and brushes her fingertips across her lips, staring down at the pavement.

"…I can't remember," she whispers in horror.

* * *

As soon as the man who rescued Elena lays her down in the backseat of his car, she groans and gasps in faux shock. She sits up and the man steps backward to allow her some air.

"You're okay now," he assures her.

"Who are you?" Elena questions as she sits up, propping herself up on her hands.

"Do you remember what happened in there?" he asks, stalling her question.

"Yes, I do," she responds in a hurried agitation. "Now who are you and what were those _things_?"

The man looks away and sighs before looking back up at Elena. "My name is Chris Argent," he tells her. "I hunt…things."

"What _kind_ of things?" Elena demands, sitting up all the way and pressing her back against the car door. She pulls her legs up to her chest and holds them tightly. "And…please, don't lie to me. I know what I saw back there."

Chris reluctantly looks over the roof of his car at the bank. He faintly hears the sound of crossbows being fired, but he doesn't hear much else. He looks back at the seemingly innocent, redheaded girl in his car. "I…my family, we hunt werewolves…"

Elena laughs sarcastically, acting of course. "This isn't real," she mutters.

Chris narrows his eyes. "It's very real," he states bluntly. "And if we don't hurry up, you might be in real danger. Get in the front seat and I'll drive you home." He offers a hand to her to help her out of the car.

Elena doesn't move. "I don't live here," she tells him honestly, feigning fright in her eyes. "I'm… a drifter."

Chris narrows his eyes in deliberation. Can he really afford to feed _two_ teenagers? What if the werewolves wanted her for a specific reason? And if not, she knows their secret. They have her scent and aren't going to give up until they have her. Keeping her around would be putting his family in danger, but she'll be in eve more danger…so he'll have to be there to protect her.

"Get in the front seat and I'll take you back to my place," he tells her as he nods to the passenger seat.

"I'm not a prostitute," she spits maliciously. "And I'm not gonna have sex with you just for saving me."

Chris looks away and covers his mouth to stifle his laughter. He can't help but chuckle. "I have a teenage daughter about your age," he tells her when he manages to look back at her. "You can stay in her room for the time being; she won't mind." His smile fades into a serious scowl. "Werewolves are very dangerous and very persistent. It's very plausible that one or two of them may have escaped, and they might come after you. Hunters like me are equipped to take them on and I'll keep you safe until they're all dead. How about that?"

Elena grins wickedly in her mind. From the looks of it, this hunter is very powerful…and very stupid, a sucker for a pretty face. She can use him; she can serve his head on a platter to Deucalion—granted he isn't dead. That will earn his trust and Elena can have even _more_ fun than she planned.

She skeptically nods and slowly climbs out of the backseat. Chris helps her out and she climbs into the passenger seat. He walks around the front of the car and gets into the driver's seat.

"So what's your name?" he asks as he starts the car.

Elena looks out the window and smiles wickedly to herself. "Jade."


	5. Establishing Identity

**_Okay! So, with some constructive reviews I got, I realized the plot holes in the chapters. Therefore, I took the liberty of re-writing the first five chapters. Now I know I rewrote the chapters before, but this time I added a bunch of new stuff to let you guys know how big of a role everyone is playing in this story. _**

**_I think it's a bad idea to use five chapters to get the story going, but I finally feel good about these chapters. I feel like they make the story flow better and I hope you guys like it._**

**_You may not be able to leave a review on this chapter unless you log out and leave a "guest" review, but you don't have to do that._**

**_I'll update as soon as possible, but this isn't the only story I'm working on at the moment._**

**_That being said, I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

**_"Chapter 5 – Establishing Identity"_**

Reluctantly, Bonnie lets Stiles escort her to his jeep, but she refuses to speak to him. He tries to speak to her on more than one occasion, hoping to spark her memory, but she only stares out the window of his jeep and watches the unfamiliar city pass her by. As far as she's concerned, Stiles is a stranger, but she's silently praying to herself that he's not a deranged serial killer. Hopefully, he'll take her somewhere she recognizes.

As Bonnie looks out among the trees and blurring buildings, she can't get the image of the blonde girl out of her head. She said she had never seen that girl before, but as the blonde's face roamed through her thoughts, Bonnie had a feeling she knew the girl from…some distant days passed.

She should have said something else; she should have lied and made something up. But her fear consumed her and she told—what she began to think—was the partial truth. And because Bonnie let her fear of this strange new place and these (presumably) strange new people, the burly man that had been at the scene carried the blonde away to do God knows what.

Bonnie hopes he's some kind of police officer or something…

There are so many questions Bonnie has, but many of them were for the strange girl. Who was she and why did she look somewhat familiar? Why was there a dead man on the sidewalk? Why did the blonde girl have blood dripping from her mouth? Did…did she kill him? What if that girl is some kind of monster? Like…a serial killer who gets off on pretending to be a thing that drinks blood. She can't even remember what those blood-drinking things are called.

Maybe that girl can tell Bonnie who she was…

Bonnie turns to Stiles who sits in the driver's seat texting someone on his phone. She glances out of the corner of her eye through the windshield just as the stoplight turns green. She looks back to Stiles to see his thumb clicking away to a person named 'Scott.'

"The light changed," Bonnie announces quietly.

He looks up at her with an inquisitive expression and looks up to the street light. "Right," he mutters, fumbling around. He drops his phone in the cup holder as he drives through the light. "So you're talking to me now?"

"Who's Scott?" Bonnie asks, ignoring the question. The name doesn't sound familiar, but maybe Stiles can give a good description of who 'Scott' is and she'll remember him.

"He's my best friend," Stiles responds. "I have to keep him updated on this kinda stuff."

"So you find a girl who can't remember who she is every day?" Bonnie counters.

"Well…no," he answers. "It's just…a lot of weird…unexplainable stuff goes on here and Scott…he makes sure no one gets hurt."

Bonnie makes a face of deliberation. For some reason, that sounds familiar to her. Is she from a place like Beacon Hills? Something about that worried her. She could…almost remember a place like the one Stiles described. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew there was something about this place that she remembered.

"You know," Stiles began sheepishly, keeping his eyes on the road, "I need something to call you if I want to talk to you. What…do you think your name is?"

Bonnie shrugs. "I don't know," she replies. "What do I look like to you?"

Her question flusters Stiles and he briefly loses control of the wheel while trying to think of an answer. Bonnie screams about an oncoming car and Stiles quickly regains control of his Jeep. He clears his throat when the Jeep returns to its normal position on the road, Stiles clears his throat and his face turns red. "S-sorry," he stammers out.

Bonnie covers her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter and suppress her smile. She's never seen a boy get so flustered over a simple question before. And if she has, she surely doesn't remember it.

"I-I-I'm not good at picking names," Stiles stammers.

"Come on," Bonnie entices. She turns in her seat to face him. "It shouldn't be that hard. Tell me what I look like." She purses her lips for a brief moment, quickly replacing her look of deliberation with an amused smile. "You look like a…_Jeremy_."

And as soon as the name escapes her lips, her smile drops. There's something…about that name. It feels…familiar and loaded with pain. Did she know someone with that name? What if something happened to the Jeremy she knew, if she knew one at all?

"Are…you okay?" Stiles worries, contemplating reaching out to her.

Bonnie looks up through her lashes and nods. "Yeah," she breathes. She clears her throat. "I just…think I almost remembered something." She shakes away the thought. "Back to the name thing."

A car honks its horn, causing Stiles to jump slightly in his seat. He puts his foot onto the gas and drives past the stop sign after making sure the road is clear.

"I guess you look a little like a Joanna," Stiles mumbles, keeping his eyes locked forward to keep a clear head.

Bonnie wrinkles her nose with slight disgust. "I don't know," she disputes as she looks in the side mirror, "I don't really see it."

"Okay," he allows, "What about…Regina, or Danielle?"

Bonnie shrugs. "Danielle seems okay," she allows. "But what about Dani instead? I don't like long names."

Stiles smiles as he pulls up to the nearest Burger King. "Dani it is, then." He smiles at her when he turns off the Jeep after putting it in park. "My name's Stiles by the way."

Bonnie raises an eyebrow and opens her mouth to say something about how odd his name is when the sound of her stomach rumbling fills the air.

"It's a good thing we stopped," Stiles jokes as he unbuckles his seatbelt. He holds up a hand when he sees Bonnie unbuckling her own seatbelt. "Just a second," he advises. Bonnie stops moving and eyes him curiously as he climbs out of the Jeep and walks around the front. He stops at her door and opens it, offering his hand to the witch inside.

Bonnie smiles as she takes off his seatbelt and grabs his hand. Sparks tingle where their skin meets, shooting warmth through her as climbs out onto the ground. His touch feels almost…magical, and she finds herself lost in his deep brown eyes. The warmth, the sheer magnitude of the safety in his touch, assures Bonnie that there is nothing but goodness in his heart.

He would never hurt her.

And in the same moment, Stiles trapped himself in Bonnie's olive stare. Surely he was a sucker for a pretty face, but something was different about this girl. There was no doubt she was beautiful, but there was more to her beauty. Maybe it was his chauvinism kicking in, but he knew he needed to protect her. In light of recent events, Allison and Lydia were fully capable of protecting themselves. And while he hadn't seen Erica in a while, Stiles knew she was safe because she was strong.

Stiles had no doubt that Bonnie—or Dani, as she'd been renamed—was strong, but she also had no idea who she was. There was no telling what she knew or didn't know. And, thanks to Derek, she had been left under his watch. Even if he had no training as a hunter or werewolf strength, Stiles had to keep her safe and he would do whatever he could to protect her.

"Stiles!" Scott calls, bursting through the doors of the Burger King.

Both Stiles and Bonnie look to him and Bonnie looks back at their hands, quickly taking hers back. Stiles looks back to her with a ghost of sadness in his eyes. He quickly turns back to his friend and forces a smile.

"Who's this?" Scott questions as he jogs up to the couple. He quickly scans Bonnie over, searching for any sign of a potential threat.

Noticing his judging glare, Bonnie crosses her arms and purses her lips. While she had to touch Stiles hand to know he was a good person, she feels something in the air that alerts her that Scott isn't exactly what he appears to be.

"This is…Dani," Stiles answers. "Remember that thing I texted you about? She was there too."

"How do you know she's not like the other one?" Scott accuses, glaring at Bonnie.

"You look at me but talk about me like I'm not here," Bonnie points out. "If 'the other one' you're referring to is that weird blonde girl and you think I'm like her, being rude isn't the right first impression to get me on your side, don't you think?"

Stiles snickers. "She's funny," he quips. "Bad guys aren't funny."

Scott sneers at his human friend. He opens his mouth to speak again when Bonnie's stomach growls louder.

Bonnie lowers her arms and looks worriedly to Stiles. "I don't know what I can eat," she whispers. "What if I'm allergic to something in there?"

Stiles places a reassuring hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "Scott's mom is a nurse," he announces. "If anything happens, I'll take you straight to the hospital and she'll know what to do."

Bonnie smiles at him and lets him lead her into the restaurant, Scott lingering cautiously on their trail.

* * *

Elena's ride back to the Argent apartment is quiet to say the most. After all, Elena has to play the part of the scared little foreign girl.

And as she rides in the passenger's seat of Chris Argent's industrial vehicle, Elena can't help but think of the strange werewolves. They had such power, such agility. And had it not been for the vast amount of human blood coursing through her veins at the time, that female werewolf surely would have ripped her head off.

If she wants to prove her worth to the werewolves, to gain their trust, she needs to keep feeding. The little blonde girl she drank didn't have an ounce of vervain in her system, and Elena's willing to bet that no one else in this unsuspecting town would know anything about it.

She'll feed and she'll grow strong. She isn't much in the cunning department, but she'll learn. Until then, she'll have to play the part of a helpless teenager so the hunter behind the wheel doesn't suspect anything. She isn't sure that he knows about vampires, but she's been wrong about a lot before. She realizes it would be stupid to take the chance with him; trying to kill him outright could result in a dusty eternal dirt nap. Even if he didn't know about vampires, the hunter might try every trick in the book and, when he gets to the beheading section of his internal hunter's manual, he'll succeed in eliminating her.

"Jade," Chris calls. When Elena doesn't respond, he lightly taps her shoulder, startling her. "I asked you where you're from."

"I started out in a small town in Virginia," she answers somewhat honestly. "I don't really remember it much. My parents died when I was younger, so I've been on my own for a while now."

"Are you looking for a permanent place to stay?"

Elena shrugs. "Not really," she says. "I'm still young, so I plan on doing a lot of exploring."

"Well Virginia's pretty far from California."

Elena smiles. "I know, but I've always wanted to come here. It looks fun."

"How old are you?" he asks, quickly changing the subject.

Elena raises an eyebrow. "Are you're sure you're not some pervert that preys on teenage girls?"

Chris chuckles. "I'm not, I swear," he assures her. "I'm just asking because you don't look old enough to be in college and I need to enroll you in school while you're here."

"I'm not staying here forever," Elena points out with narrowed eyes and a sharp voice.

Argent's face falls and he tosses a side-glance to her as he pulls up to a stop light, filling the car with a serious atmosphere. "As long as those werewolves are after you," he begins with a dark, authoritative voice, "You will not leave my sight or my daughter's sight. We're both trained experts when it comes to things like this. So if you want to live to see the rest of the world, you'll attend school just like every other teenager in Beacon Hills. Truancy isn't welcomed in my home. Am I clear?"

Elena purses her lips, staring daggers at the older man. "Crystal," she spits.

"I'm sure you'll fit right in," he tells her in a lighter tone as he turns into the driveway of his apartment. "The kids are…alright there. A pretty girl like you will have no problem making friends."

Elena smirks, lingering on his words. After becoming a vampire, she found it easier to read people, especially when she could listen to their heartbeats. And listening to his heart, the beat quickened during his compliment, exposing his slight excitement. She knows there's no denying that he's attracted to her, even if only the slightest bit.

And _that_ will be his weakness.


	6. Blending In

I'm so sorry this took so long to get out! I've been really busy with school and stuff. College is no picnic!

So, I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I feel like there were some cheesy parts in it, but I guess that's okay. No one's perfect. I wasn't sure how to end it, so this is probably the best ending I can get you guys for this chapter.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far. I'd really like it if you guys gave me some constructive criticism (I got a review a while back about my plot holes and I was able to go back and fix those). Leave any comments, questions, or how you feel toward the characters.

I'm really trying to plan the rest of this story out (because I only have general ideas so far) so I'm not entirely sure when the next update will be. But until then, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I think it's a little longer than the others.

Oh, and before I forget, I don't know how big of a role Stefan will play in this story. You may or may not see him again.

That being said, enjoy!

-Skye

* * *

**_"Chapter 6 – Blending In"_**

Instead of snapping awake like she normally would after a broken neck, Caroline wakes slowly. On instinct, she rolls her neck, popping the bones into place. The feeling in her body has yet to return, and a bright light pierces her eyelids; though they're closed she can see three spotlights blazing and covered in the veins within her eyelids. She tries to move her arms to shield the light, but cast iron chains hold her in place.

Caroline's eyes shoot open, ignoring the lights completely, and she frantically looks around the empty room. She sucks in sharp, ragged breaths as she assesses the empty, decrepit space. She looks to the chains holding her wrists and tries to force them to break, but to no avail. Her body feels…weaker, drained of all her energy.

But how could that be?

She drank human blood the day before her journey to find Elena _and_ she drank at least three-fourths of the man that attacked Bonnie. There's no way she could be so weak with that blood in her system.

Unless…

Caroline looks down and her eyes instantly find the bloodstained spot on her abdomen. Her white blouse is gone, exposing her blue-laced bra and the tiny unhealed scar where blood was drawn. Looking further down, she notices her jeans are ripped below the knees and two puncture wounds rest on the sides of her calves, similar to the wound on her stomach

And to add insult to injury, her black Prada pumps are missing.

"Hel_lo_!" Caroline calls out. "Can whoever bound and drained me give me a reason why?! Preferably the jerk that broke my neck!"

"You're a potential threat," a voice announces sternly, out of Caroline's view.

"And who are you to call me a threat?" Caroline questions in annoyance. "Stop hiding and show your face!"

A tall man with broad shoulders, short black hair, menacing red eyes, and rugged facial features steps into view. Had it not been for her enhanced vision, she would not have been able to distinguish his features due to the overcasting eclipse of the lights he stood beside. Upon the man coming closer, a strange stench fills Caroline's nose. He smells nothing like a human or a vampire, but he doesn't smell like a werewolf either.

"I don't think you're the one in the position to be making demands," he announces as he crosses his arms. "Why did you come to Beacon Hills?"

"I'd probably be more willing to answer if I wasn't _tied up_," she quips. "And how are you so sure I'm a threat?"

"You're a vampire," the man answers simply, unmoving. "You are deadly, immortal. I saw what you did to that man on the street. If you _aren't_ a threat, why did you attack him? Wherever you're from, you're in _my_ territory now; I protect these people from monsters like you."

"He attacked my friend!" Caroline shouts, fury in her eyes. "He knocked her out and could have killed her _just_ to take her money!" Her chest heaves with anger, her chains rattling slightly as her body rises and falls. The man opens his mouth to speak again, but Caroline stops him. "_You_ broke my neck," she reminds him. "No human can do that. You knocked me down, too." She narrows her eyes. "Only a monster can do that."

"I'm not a monster," the man snarls. His nostrils flare and his jaw locks. His arms drop to his sides and his fist clench and unclench repeated, preparing to rip her apart.

"I'm not either!" Caroline cries out.

The man purses his lips, visibly relaxing. "Tell me why I don't believe you," he spits. "The girl said she didn't know you; she said she'd never seen you before. Now _tell me_ why you're in Beacon Hills."

For a moment, Caroline is speechless and looks down at her bare feet. There wasn't any other girl around when she and Bonnie were attacked, and Bonnie was unconscious on the ground away from her. How could Bonnie say she didn't know Caroline? What happened to her? This…didn't make any sense…

"We came looking for our friend," Caroline answers in a soft daze, worry striking her features. She looks up at her captor with pleading eyes. "Where's Bonnie? Where is the girl from before?"

"It doesn't matter," the man retorts, a smirk creeping across his face. He's got her where he wants her; he's broken her. If she knows that girl, or if she only wants that girl for a specific reason, the vampire will never see her again. If he has to, he'll bleed her dry until that girl—Bonnie, perhaps—remembers who she is; if she still doesn't remember the vampire, or if she is afraid, the chained up blonde will die. "You're not going anywhere near her."

"You can't keep me here," Caroline whispers, lacking power behind her words.

The man smirks. "You don't sound too sure of that."

* * *

Thankfully, Bonnie wasn't allergic to any of the food in Burger King. Stiles offered to buy her food, but Bonnie insisted on searching her pockets and found five dollars. She thought it was strange that she didn't have a wallet, but she didn't say anything about it. Maybe when she remembered who she was, she would remember where her wallet was.

And thanks to her memory loss, Bonnie forgot how good food could be; it was like she'd never had a Whopper before. She spent her entire five dollars (and two dollars from Stiles) on food and thanked her new friend for suggesting the heavenly, unhealthy food. And she knew she should have ate more…ladylike, but she honestly didn't care.

During their meal, Scott refused to speak to Bonnie, but she would occasionally catch him looking at her with a reserved glare. She thought about sneering at him or making a nasty face, but he would suspect that. So every time she caught him looking at her, she simply smiled at him.

After eating, Stiles said a quick goodbye to his friend and told Bonnie that she could stay at his place for the time being. When she held a skeptical demeanor, he told her that his dad was the sheriff and nothing bad would happen to her.

He missed the point, though.

She wasn't skeptical about going home with him because she was afraid something _bad_ would happen to her; she was worried that something _good_ would happen.

She couldn't remember if she liked sex or not, or even if she was still a virgin, but she felt a slight attraction to Stiles. It wasn't so much that he was physically appealing, though that was a plus, as it was that she felt safe with him. It was a Florence Nightingale Effect of sorts, but she didn't know that. But she did know that she wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her, to assure her that everything would be okay.

She was sure that if he kissed her, she wouldn't be against it.

When Stiles drives Bonnie back to his home, he asks her what she wants to do while they wait for his dad to get back. She shrugs and Stiles suggest they try to play video games.

Something clicks inside Bonnie and she smiles brightly. She remembers playing video games with _someone_ and having fun, but she can't remember who she played with. She also remembers that she loves something called Call of Duty.

"I remember playing CoD a lot," Bonnie admits with her large grin. "Do you have that?"

Stiles gapes at the girl in front of him in his living room. Not only was she pretty, but she knew how to eat _and_ she liked video games. She was perfect!

"I have Black Ops and Zombies," Stiles answers.

"Zombies!" Bonnie exclaims in an excited rush as Stiles tries to say something else.

He laughs slightly at her enthusiasm and heads upstairs for a brief moment to bring his Xbox downstairs since Bonnie probably won't want to go into his room.

After setting up the game, Bonnie and Stiles play like pros, and even smack each other's controllers playfully to increase their kill streaks. And every time a zombie attacks Bonnie's character, she screams in shock and Stiles smirks slightly. And just when Bonnie is ultimately about to win the tenth wave of zombies with two hundred kills, Sheriff Stilinski bursts through the door, causing Bonnie to scream loudly and shock Stiles.

The sheriff runs into the living room and stops in his tracks when he sees the unfamiliar girl clinging to his son. He keeps a stone face when Bonnie realizes what she's doing and pulls away from Stiles with a slight blush. Sheriff Stilinksi nods to Bonnie with slightly knitted eyebrows. "Who's this?"

"This is Dani," Stiles announces, gently nudging her arm. "She's new in town."

The sheriff crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe. "Really?" he questions. "Where are you from, Dani?"

Bonnie shrugs. "I'm not sure," she answers honestly. "I can't remember anything."

Worry floods Stiles' face and he quickly looks from Bonnie to his father. "What's she means is," he hastily adds, "Um…she's-she's Scott's distant cousin on his dad's side. She stopped by for an unexpected visit. So, there's not a lot of room at Scott's place… Is it okay if…if she stays here?"

The sheriff narrows his eyes, not believing his son. "And where are her parents staying?"

"Scott's," Stiles answers a little too quickly. "There's just enough room for her parents, but she would probably have to share a bed with Scott or his mom."

"I could see if my aunt could find a futon and sleep on that if you don't have room here either," Bonnie announces, playing along with Stiles' charade. She chuckles slightly and playfully punches Stiles' shoulder. "I told Stiles he should have asked you earlier, but he doesn't listen."

For a moment, all is quiet and Bonnie keeps her poker face. Stiles struggles to keep his poker face as his father looks between him and the girl at his side. But after a moment of awkward silence, Sheriff Stilinski laughs lightly and Stiles visibly relaxes. "I know exactly what you're talking about," the sheriff quips. "When Stiles turned three, he stopped listening to me altogether and it's only gotten worse." He chuckles, remembering a funny anecdote. "One time when he was seven, we went—"

"Can she stay here, Dad?" Stiles quickly interrupts, remembering how embarrassing the story was about to get.

The sheriff eyes his son with slight scrutiny for a brief moment. He isn't used to having women in the house, and he's not entirely sure he trusts his teenage son around a beautiful teenage girl. He won't be able to keep an eye on Stiles throughout the night, either. He doesn't entirely believe his son's story about this girl being Scott's cousin. Melissa would have mentioned if family was coming to town and she would have called earlier if she wanted her niece to sleep somewhere else.

"She can stay," Sheriff Stilinski announces slowly. He points between Stiles and Bonnie. "But no funny business." Stiles opens his mouth to say something, most likely another one of his signature sarcastic remarks, but his father holds up a hand to silence him. "You _know_ what I mean, Stiles," he states with authority.

Stiles lowers his head and scratches the back of it while Bonnie snickers slightly.

"You can take his room for the time being, Dani," the sheriff says as he nods his head to his son. "Stiles can sleep on the couch."

"I don't want to put you through any trouble," Bonnie tells him with wide green eyes.

The sheriff smirks. "It's no trouble at all," he assures her. "It'd do Stiles some good to sleep on the couch, straighten his back out a little."

* * *

After the awkward introduction, Sheriff Stilinski retired to his room to take a shower and get ready for bed after a long day on the job. Stiles and Bonnie continued to play Call of Duty, but Stiles occasionally paused to text Scott. He took special precaution not to mention his friend around her because he could sense from their meal earlier that there were bad vibes being tossed between them.

The teenagers got in a good three games with ten rounds each before Bonnie decided that she wanted to go to bed, much to Stiles' dismay. Stiles showed her where his bathroom was so she could take a shower and even laid out a fresh set of night clothes on his bed for her, even though they were probably two sizes too big.

As Bonnie climbs into bed, dressed in a baggy pair of Stiles' checkered pajama pants and an old T-shirt with the Royal Air Force roundel symbol and the collar cut off, Sheriff Stilinski knocks on the door. "It's open," Bonnie calls quietly, pulling Stiles' comforter up to her chin. Though Stiles promised there would be no funny business, Bonnie hopes he'll open the door and pop his head in. She also hopes things will go more from there…

She hides her disappointment when she realizes that it's only the sheriff.

"So are you _really_ Scott's cousin?" he questions with a raised brow. His voice is serious, but there is a small hint of humor in his tone.

Bonnie shrugs. "I could be," she announces honestly. "Do cousins dislike each other?"

Sheriff Stilinski eyes her curiously. "Some do and some don't," he answers slowly. "Where are you from?"

Bonnie shrugs again. "Stiles didn't want you to know," she begins, "But I can't remember who I am. If you haven't seen me before, then I guess I'm not from here. He found me earlier today after I'd been attacked. This other guy he was with told him to look after me and his friend Scott doesn't like me very much." She narrows her eyes. "I can't say the feeling isn't mutual."

"Who was the man you saw with my son?" Sheriff Stilinski interrogates, standing fully erect and alert. If the man this girl in his son's bed is talking about is Derek Hale, there may be something strange going on. After all, no man had been brought into the jail today and Bonnie said she'd been attacked, so what could have happened?

"I don't know," she says. "I didn't get a look a good look at him and I don't think I heard his name. I just know it wasn't Scott. Am I in trouble?"

Stilinski shakes his head. "Of course not," he assures her. "I just wish my son would have told me about this earlier. Did he even bother taking you to the hospital?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "I feel just fine," she insists. "Nothing hurts and nothing's broken."

The sheriff crosses his arm. "I think it would be best if you go see a doctor," he states. "As much as you may not want to, I'm going to take you now. You don't have to change if you don't want to. Then I'll take you to the high school tomorrow and have you enrolled; if you're going to stay for a while, then you need to go to school."

With a small sigh, Bonnie climbs out of the bed and follows Sheriff Stilinski out to his police cruiser.

* * *

"I don't see why _I_ have to do this," Gen whines quietly as she slumps in her seat.

"_I_ can't go anywhere near Elena," Katherine reminds with a scowl, keeping her eyes on the road. "She doesn't know _you_ and she won't be able to catch my scent on you. Keep an eye on her and see what she does."

"Why can't you tell me why you're doing this?" Gen begs, looking to Katherine with hopeful eyes. "It'd make everything easier if I knew the reasons for what I'm doing here."

"_Because you'll ruin everything_!" Katherine growls as she slams on the breaks, causing Gen to lurch in her seat. "Do not forget your disposability."

Gen sighs and looks at her lap. "What do you want me to do?" she asks in defeat.

"Keep an eye on Elena and make sure she doesn't expose herself," Katherine orders as she pulls into the school's parking lot. "As soon as she smells what you are, she'll be drawn to you; she'll want to use you for her personal gain. If she tells you to do something, do it; don't give her any reason to suspect that you aren't loyal to her. If you see her witch friend, make sure she doesn't get too close. There's no telling how long the spell will last, and talking to Elena could trigger her memories and ruin everything. Do I make myself clear?"

Gen nods once, keeping her eyes on the towering high school. She's sure Katherine can tell she's scared, but she still doesn't want to admit it. How did she end up like this? How could she let a vampire trick her and kidnap her? Had her parents started looking for her yet? Were her parents even alive…?

"Yes, Katherine," she mumbles quietly.

She just prays that Katherine won't kill her when this was over.

* * *

Elena doesn't speak as she sits in the backseat of Chris Argent's BMW. His daughter, Allison, sits in the front, laughing with him about something. If Elena still had her humanity, she'd probably consider listening in or adding to the conversation and adding occasional laughter, but she simply sits with her head resting against the window.

School is pointless.

She's a _vampire_ for Christ's sake; she'll have plenty of time to entertain the whimsical idea of school should she ever _choose_ to go back. She didn't leave one small, forgettable town _just_ to go to school in another.

She needs to find Deucalion. She doubts he's dead, but she doesn't remember his scent. He'll be hard to find, so the sooner she gets to tracking him the better. And maybe when she finds him, she'll tell him part of her plan to dispose of the hunter in the driver's seat.

Then she'll have him eating out of the palm of her hand.

Elena isn't even sure how this Argent is the ring leader of deadly mercenaries with a daughter like his. Though her father teaches her how to hunt—as Elena took notice of last night while she was supposed to be sleeping—Allison is weak. Elena can _smell_ the teenage angst on her, as well as the faint smell of a werewolf like Deucalion. She lets her emotions control her, hindering her skill as a hunter. Allison is nothing but a weak link, and her father will be too preoccupied trying to pick her up when she falls to watch his own back.

If Elena can't seduce him with her feminine wiles, she'll be able to use Allison to break him down.

"What about you, Jade?" Argent questions, ripping Elena from her thoughts.

She raises her eyebrows out of boredom. "Art is pretty nice," she answers nonchalantly, showing she was paying attention to their petty discussion about interesting subjects in school.

Today is going to be a long one.

* * *

Bonnie and Stiles wait in the front office while his father talks to the principal. After a few minutes with the teens gossiping about video games, the sheriff and the principal emerge from her office and she hands Bonnie a piece of paper.

"Well, Dani," she begins with a warm smile. "Here's your schedule and all other necessary information, such as your locker number and combination, names of your teachers and their required readings, etcetera. If you get lost, Mr. Stilinski will be able to show you around. I had my secretary crunch some numbers, and you'll be sharing the same classes with Mr. Stilinski under the sheriff's request." She narrows her eyes at Stiles. "If he causes you any trouble, be sure and come _straight_ to my office." She looks back at Bonnie. "His father will deal with him."

Bonnie lowers her head, suppressing a laugh. "Yes, ma'am," she responds. She looks up with an even composure. "May we go now? I might have trouble getting my locker open."

The principal nods. "Go right ahead," she orders. "But remember, you can still get detention when school isn't in session."

"We'll keep that in mind!" Bonnie announces as she grabs Stiles hand and darts out of the room.

Mvbiosdjkfn

Elena's first class drones on and on and, for some reason, she fights the urge to compel the teacher to be more entertaining. She feels…lazy and doesn't want to compel an entire classroom. Plus, she shares this mundane history class with Allison; if she were to compel the teacher, Allison's guard would instantly rise and Elena would more than likely have to kill her. She wouldn't be able to explain that to Argent—who may or may not know about vampires—and that would ruin her plan.

She figures rash decisions aren't in her favor at the moment.

When the bell rings, Elena is the first out of her seat, standing up with near-inhuman grace. She strides toward the door and out into the hallway, keeping note of her pace. When she reaches the first set of lockers outside the classroom, Allison grabs her shoulder and Elena fights a sneer as she turns around.

"We didn't get to talk much last night," she points out, giving Elena a soft smile. "I think it would be nice to get to know each other since we aren't sure how long we'll be sharing the same sleeping space. And just a heads up, my friend Lydia and I go off campus to get something to eat. You're more than welcome to come with us."

_Her cheeriness is disgusting_, Elena thinks to herself. She forces a smile as she looks up at the 5'8" huntress-in-training. "I'd like that," she gushes.

Elena's back stiffens when she spots Bonnie walking with a boy, animatedly talking and laughing about something she doesn't care about.

_What's she doing here?_ Elena hisses to herself. _How did she find me?_ She scans the throng of students chatting and horse playing by their lockers. _Where the hell is Caroline?_

Out of some strange instinct, Bonnie looks in Elena's direction. She stops in her tracks for a moment, taking in the sight of the vampire. Something about her looks familiar, but Bonnie just can't figure out what it is. She feels like she's seen the redhead before, but she can't put a name with the face.

"Do you see those girls over there by the lockers?" Bonnie asks, nudging Stiles gently in the arm. "The tall one with black hair and the tiny redhead?"

"The tall one is Allison," Stiles points out. "I don't know who that other girl is. I've never seen her before."

"I feel like I have," Bonnie announces distantly.

Stiles looks back from the redheaded Elena to Bonnie. "Do you want to go talk to her?"

She pauses for a moment in deliberation before shaking her head. "I don't remember her even if I do know her," Bonnie states, "It'd be awkward trying to make a conversation with her. I guess it can wait."

"If you say so," Stiles breathes with a shrug.

Elena watches Bonnie walk off with a small smile etched onto her lips, small enough that Allison won't notice, and Gen watches from across the hall.

Katherine's witch leans against a locker, pursing her lips as Bonnie passes Elena with another small glance. So far, her spell is holding up. And from the looks of it, just seeing Elena won't trigger any of Bonnie's memories. But if Bonnie got to close, that would probably cause some problems. So in order to keep Katherine happy, she'll have to keep Bonnie away from Elena at all costs. It won't be easy babysitting a vampire and a witch with the weight of another menacing vamp on her shoulders, but Gen has no say in the matter.

And to think, she could be at her own school in Chesapeake right now practicing her cheerleading routine…

* * *

For the majority of the day, Stiles never left Bonnie's side. He didn't want to be away from her any more than he had to, and he could tell she felt the same. There was something in her touch that had attracted him to her, and he wanted to know more about her. He had to stay with Bonnie—or "Dani," as he'd cleverly named her—and he had to get to know her.

He had to keep her safe.

When lunch rolls around, Stiles escorts Bonnie—her hands draped on his arm—to the cafeteria. He sees Scott sitting at a corner table with Isaac and leads the witch over to them. As Stiles gets closer, Scott turns around once he catches the scent of his best friend. His eyes narrow upon seeing Bonnie.

And Scott is anything but discrete.

Bonnie stops walking and lets go of Stiles' arm. "I think I left something in my locker," she lies smoothly.

"You want me to go with you?" Stiles offers.

Bonnie shakes her head and waves him off. "Nah, I'm good," she assures him. "You go ahead and sit with your friends and I'll be back."

Stiles frowns slightly, not wanting her to leave. "If anything happens, scream," he advises.

Bonnie chuckles. "I doubt anything bad is going to happen in a high school."

Stiles smirks at her and his forehead crinkles with laughter. "You'd actually be surprised."

Bonnie laughs slightly and turns on her heels, exiting the cafeteria quickly while Stiles takes his seat with his supernatural friends. Upon sitting down, Scott grimaces. "I don't like her, Stiles," he blurts out.

Stiles leans back in shock. "And why not?" he asks, taken aback. "She's just a normal girl with memory loss…who'spretendingtobeyourcousin." The latter portion of his sentence is rushed, but Scott catches every word.

"_What?_" Scott cries a little too loudly. "My cousin? Why?"

"Don't worry," Stiles pleads, holding up his hands to soothe his friend. "She's gonna stay at my place until everything is all settled out. I don't see what your problem is, though; she's really cool and stuff."

"You look like you think she's more than that," Isaac quips with a goofy grin.

Stiles sneers at him playfully. "Don't you have a cat you could be chasing?" he jokes.

"Stiles, this is _serious_," Scott reprimands. "Something isn't right with that girl, and you don't want to see it. She's not normal."

"Pfft," Stiles grumbles. "What makes you so sure of that?"

"Maybe because I'm a werewolf," Scott reminds matter-of-factly in a low voice. "She doesn't smell like you or Allison or any other human in Beacon Hills."

"I think you're just over exaggerating," Stiles dismisses. "I'm telling you: she's totally normal. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Give her a little bit of time and you'll warm up to her."

"Warm up to who?" Bonnie asks, catching the tail end of the conversation as she takes the free seat by Stiles. She looks at Scott. "And I know we got off to a bad start, but I don't mean you guys any harm. How can I if I don't even remember my own name?"

"You don't know your name?" Isaac ponders with a raised brow. "Then how'd you—"

"Stiles gave me a name," Bonnie interrupts with a broad smile, sneaking a small look at him.

Isaac nearly chokes on his laughter. "That's so…sweet that you…_named_ her," he manages through his small laughing fits. Stiles picks up Scott's apple and tosses it at Isaac who catches it with ease. "Gotta be quicker than that!"

Bonnie laughs as Stiles digs through his bag and starts chucking food at the new boy she hasn't been introduced to yet, but Scott keeps his guard up.

Whatever this girl is, whatever she's hiding, he'll figure her out and _he'll_ have the last laugh.


End file.
